To the Hairdressers
by Tonkswyrda
Summary: The Marauders take Tonks to get a haircut she really doesnt want- so she decides to make it hell for the poor hairdresser.


"But I don't want it cut!" Five year old Nymphadora Tonks yelled from the top of the stairs.

"Well you're getting it cut!" Andromeda yelled back.

Sirius, James, Remus and Peter watched the exchange from the dining room table, flinching as the little girls voice got shriller and shriller.

"I don't need it cut! I can shorten it myself!"

"You can't control it properly yet, you need a decent cut for going out in public!" Andromeda's voice was hoarse- she had been trying to get Nymphadora down for half an hour now.

"Should we do something?" James asked quietly, ruffling his hair and leaning back in his chair.

"Probably." Peter muttered. No one moved though.

Sirius rolled his eyes, standing. "Don't worry, I'll do it myself then…" he marched past Andromeda and up the stairs. The little girl saw him coming and ran into her room.

"I'm going to help." Remus ran after Sirius, as a stream of curses issues from behind the door.

"Crap." Sirius swore. "I knew all that swearing round her was a bad idea…"

"Your idea too, needless to say." Remus said crisply, crouching by the door. "Hey, Nymph."

"I'm not getting a stupid hair cut!"

"I know. I just thought you might like some chocolate instead, that's much more fun then a haircut…"

The door flung open, almost hitting him in the face, as Remus was bowled over with a bear hug. "I knew you'd understand, Moony!" she exclaimed gleefully.

"Sorry kiddo." Grimacing, Remus picked her up, heading down stairs.

"You tricked me! No fair!" she pounded her small fists on his shoulder.

Sirius laughed as he followed Remus. "That's one nasty pout you got there, Nymph."

She blew a loud raspberry at him, scowling.

"Thanks boys." Andromeda smiled. "The hairdresser knows how to cut it, she shouldn't be any trouble." She raised an eyebrow at her daughter. "You be nice for them, got it?"

Still scowling, she nodded.

Remus put her down, and took her hand as they walked out the door, headed for the small bunch of shops three blocks down the road. "How hard can it be?" Sirius said, grinning.

Trust Sirius to jinx it.

"Sorry, Judy's sick today, but we've got Madeline taking her customers. I hope that's not a problem." The lady at the counter smiled- at Sirius, of course.

"Oh, that's fine." Sirius smiled lazily back, following Nymph to the small play pen, where she had already found a Barbie doll and horse.

"It's not fine Sirius, we don't know how she gets it cut!" Remus hissed under his breath. Sirius waved him off, busy looking like a good cousin, and showing off for the receptionist.

Remus turned to James. "we're doomed."

Madeline, it turned out, was a trainee. She put Nymph into the chair, and looked at her expectantly in the mirror- as if a five year old knew how she wanted her hair cut!

"I want it this short!" Nymph told Madeline and Remus happily, holding her fingers apart with a gap of around two inches. Madeline glanced at Remus. He shook his head adamantly.

"Just… trim it a bit." He said lamely. She nodded, and turned to get her gear. Nymph scowled at him in the mirror.

"Don't." he said firmly. She was just like Sirius… he could practically see the little cogs in her brain working as she plotted.

He moved aside as Madeline began snipping, clipping her hair up so that it fell in her face. She giggled. At least she was having fun. Maybe she wasn't planning something…

Madeline turned to get her spray bottle.

Grinning, Nymph screwed up her eyes, and suddenly her brown hair was an inch longer than before it had been cut.

Madeline blinked, confused. But, shaking her head, she cut it again.

And it grew again when she turned around.

"Stop it." Remus hissed.

She smiled sweetly at him. "Stop what, Moony?"

He scowled. She was using the cute card, and that wasn't fair.

"You stop it right now… or I'll… I'll never come round again!" _was that the best threat he could come up with? He was definitely loosing his touch._

She narrowed her eyes. "That's mean."

_Had it actually worked?_

"Well, you're being mean to the hairdresser. Stop playing round with the poor girl!"

Madeline was back, a pair of sharper scissors in hand. "Sorry, those ones must have been blunt, they weren't doing much, were they?" she laughed lamely to herself, shaking her head.

Nymph ignored his threat. Her hair continued to grow, and Madeline was almost crying by the end of it. "Why wont it get any shorter?" excusing herself, she ran for her boss. Scowling, Remus moved in. Nymph shrunk in her seat.

"Stop. Now."

She nodded quickly, her face frightened. Remus took a breath. _ He had to be careful not to get too mad at this time of month… _"Sorry, hun. What do you say, after we go get some candy floss? Would you like that?" she smiled, nodding again, as Madeline returned.

She informed Remus that her scissors had been broken, and that she was very sorry. It only took five minutes after that. Remus had to feel a little sorry for her- Nymph had some nasty tricks up her sleeve, for a five year old.

As they walked back home, Nymph riding on Sirius' shoulder with a big piece of candy floss on a stick, she turned to Remus and said "I knew you were only joking."

"About what?" he reached up and pulled a piece of pink sugar off her stick.

"About never coming back. You'll never really go." She smiled at him, and he rolled his eyes, grinning.

"I guess you're right."

"None of you will stop coming, will you?" she asked the rest of the group, a slight worry line creasing her forehead.

"No way Nymph!" Sirius told her, jiggling her on his shoulders. "You know you're our girl!" the others all nodded in agreement.

"We couldn't live without our weekly Nymph fix!" James told her, shocked. "I'd rather die!"

"I'll have to kill you guys if you stop visiting her!" Peter piped up, and they laughed, because Peter would never kill anyone- not even a fly. He was terrified of flies.

"Good." She said happily. "Moony, can I ride on your shoulders now? Sirius' hair gets in the way."

Laughing, Remus nodded, pulling her on as Sirius complained about how his hair was soooo important. "Sure thing, Kiddo."

She hugged the top of his head, kissing the hand she was holding. "You better stay, Moony. I'd miss you most."

"I'm not going anywhere, Nymph."


End file.
